____

Carol Ann

My Mom. My rock. Thank you for always allowing me to be me. My thoughts, ideas and dreams may seem huge but you just nod, grin and support me in every capacity. I am the confidant woman I am because of you. Thank you for allowing me to vent, to cry and to lean on you throughout this whole process. I seriously don't think I could've made it through without your unwavering love and support. You are my favorite human. I am so grateful to be your daughter.

Fletch

Dad! Fletch you are the best father a girl could ask for. Thank you for showing me what it's truly like to be loved and cared for by a man. You set the blueprint and I was so honored to share such a special moment in my life with you right there spinning me around countless times and cheering me on. I can't thank you enough. The way you love my Mom set the standard for what I should expect in a marriage. What huge shoes Jason has to fill.

Lil Bro

Kaelan. I purposely didn't tell you about your "flower man" duties but I knew it wouldn't matter. You'd do absolutely anything for me anyway. Thank you for the huge role you played in my wedding and the even bigger role you play in my life. You make me proud to be your sister every single day. You are so kind, so selfless. I hope you never lose that spirit. Thank you for being my biggest fan.

MIL

THE BEST MOTHER IN LAW EVER! I am so happy to have you as a Mom! Your spirit illuminates the room. You are a huge source of inspiration, strength and wisdom. When I sit and talk with you I feel so full when I leave the table. Thank you for being a constant source of support throughout this whole process. I consider myself so fortunate to be your daughter.

FIL

My bonus dad! You are the best. It's so fun to watch you and Jason interact, when I see you it's like I'm looking into the future. Thank you for never hesitating to lend a hand when we needed you. Especially when we asked to borrow your other baby; your drone.

Rob

When I met you we instantly hit it off. Thank you for being the true example of a friend. I couldn't imagine anyone officiating our wedding except for you. You have been there from the beginning; seen the good and bad. You inspired Jason to find his true passion. We wouldn't be us without you. Rob Fusion, you are family.

Anita

Aunt Brigitte! You are the decorating master! That dessert table, EPIC. The day ran as smoothly as it did because of you. You've been there since the second I said yes and I can't thank you enough for putting up with us. We definitely weren't the easiest couple to work with. I owe you for eternity.

Richie

My bestie. My Best Man. As you say, you were my friend when I was ugly. Thank you for loving me, for always being there for me, and not letting what anyone says or thinks dictate how you feel about me. When I'm with you I feel like I'm home. I was so happy to have you be a part of the ceremony. It meant more to me than you'll ever know. I feel like I've watched you grow up... I couldn't be more proud of the man you've become.

Ky

My Matron of Honor. My sister. In high school in order to combat unwanted sexual advances from boys at parties you pretended to be my girlfriend... and you still do this. Jason will just have to learn to share. Lol. Thank you for being there for me every step of the way. You are the epitome of a friend; postponing procreating solely so you could give me your full support on my special day. What did I do to deserve a friend like you? I have not one clue but I couldn't be more honored to have you by my side. I can't wait to grow old and do old lady things with you. You stuck with me forever. You will deal.

The Bridesmen

Brandon - We first met in a hotel room filled with strippers and I can honestly say I had no idea then that you'd mean as much to me as you do now. Thank you for being my friend; the guy I can always talk to about all things from politics, to music, and ESPECIALLY all things film related. There has never been a time where I needed you and you weren't there. I love you.

Yonzy- We are so much alike it's scary. Even our SO's are alike lol. You are the only person I know that still leaves voice messages and I save every single one. Thanks for always calling me and making sure we have 3 hour existential convos about life at least once a month, thanks for being a never-ending source of support, thank you for being able to fall asleep anywhere so that I can document it and laugh at you later.

Asha

When it was time to figure out who would be my hostesses for my wedding there was no question. It HAD to be my cousins. NO ONE will ride for me like they will. Asha, you remind me so much of my Mom. Always there for everyone, but sometimes you gotta chill out and let folks be there for you. I can't thank you enough for being a constant source of laughter and light in my life. You're the best big cuz ever. Now bring me my babies to the Chi! My day simply wouldn't have been complete without you being a part of it... Plus, I know only y'all love me enough to put up with Deb.

Rissa

Cousin #2. Rissa you are my hero. An amazing mother and a heart of pure gold. Your whole world can be crumbling down but you could never tell by your disposition. Your courage, your talent, and your spirit are all so genuine. My first hairstylist! Getting married without you in the mix just wouldn't be right!

Bri

Cousin #3. Bri. You are without a doubt one of the strongest women I know. A true testament to the saying "I don't look like what I've been through" you are such a good Mom, and you always put family first. My day simply wouldn't have been complete without you being a part of it...

CiCi

Cousin #4. Siera it has been a joy to watch you grow up. I am so proud as I continue to watch you discover the world and yourself in the process. You have the most selfless job in the world and I have never once not seen you smile while doing it. Couldn't imagine you not being a part of the show!

Girl Talk

When I made the decision to stay in Chicago until the day of my wedding Donna, Jen and Nneka said "Well I guess we coming to Chicago den." They made sure that I didn't stress and since I couldn't have a bachelorette party they made sure the night before my wedding was filled with fellowship. I can't tell y'all enough how much I needed that. There's the support you ask for, and then there's the support that just shows up. I love y'all so much for showing up for me.

Nneka

My hairstylist! Nneka insisted on slaying my edges and was the creator of my bantu knot out for my wedding. My kismet. A strange act of craziness brought you into my life and now I can't imagine you not in it. You is loyal, you is smart, you are such a great friend. Thanks doc!

Traveling Negus

MY TRAVEL CREW! Ain't a party without y'all. Y'all are so much more than some folks I travel with. Y'all are family. I feel like we've known each other our whole lives... It's amazing. I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives seeing the world together. Word to Jes for creating a fan and making sure I got some cool air in my direction. You're the real MVP.

Sisters

My ladies are better than yours. Special shout out to risky and the gang for always being there whenever I need them. I consider myself so fortunate to have found what true sisterhood feels like. Special shoutout to Tracy who drove over 14 hours just to be there... Only to turn around and have to catch a super early flight the next morning. We killed shake dat monkey btw. Word to Shauna.

Bri

Where do I begin? She shot our whole wedding over six months pregnant. The true epitome of black.girl.magic. You're so disgustingly talented. I remember feeling so down and discouraged about the lack of inspiration I saw when searching for alternative brides of color. You are so much more than just a photographer. You were truly there to encourage me when I felt like I didn't see myself or people like me when going through this process. I'm so happy to have forced you into being my friend.

Amie. I LOVE YOU! Thank you for tagging along, being dope and filling in as my Mom. Come to Chi soon please.

Juniper

Emily was right. It's something about video that just touches you. Mike and Emily are so good! Their approach to wedding videography is so unique, so personal. I cannot wait to continue to watch Juniper evolve. I hope you remember us lil guys when you're all big and famous!

My Husband

I am beyond excited to embark upon this thing called life forever with you by my side. Loving you is so effortless, so organic. You are such an incredible person. It has been an honor to be by your side as you have grown into the man that you are. You make me proud to know you every second of every day. I can't even begin to imagine what the future holds for us, as everything from this point on out will indeed be nothing short of a fairy tale to me. You are everything I thought I wanted and most importantly everything that I NEED in a spouse and I'm so thankful you chose me!